Snags Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 Seriously ... I have been back for less than 48 hours and the number of people running red lights or making left turns when on-coming traffic has to slam on their breaks is getting out of hand. I am becoming more and more of a believer that Niagara might have the worst drivers in North America, I have driven through California, driven through Boston, driven through New York City. Hell even in Alberta where the drivers can't drive their oversized pickups, they still know how to stop at red lights. I will never put my bicycle on the streets based on how people drive, I will take the fine if the police opt to dislike my riding on the sidewalk. That is all, this thread can now die a quiet death in this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 I just bought a newer (Kijiji) 21 speed Raleigh mountain bike for my trail fishing trips .....and I will ride on the sidewalks as well whenever there are no pedestrians . ......too many bad drivers.... on the phone-texting who don't notice the bikers (motorcycles included ) ! The roads are in bad shape in many areas with large pot holes , especially at the sewer grates . I have nearly broadsided a few vehicles just this year .....all of them females who were on the phone . We certainly need much harsher penalties . I think it's a joke when they impound a car for a WHOLE WEEK for idiots who drive over 50k over the posted limit . Take their car for a year and 5 year suspension , and $5000. fine for the first offense ....I'll bet we would see less of those dangerous fools . Drive defensively ....don't trust that a car will always stop at a 4 way !! ok snaggles ....crash this thread .................. ......... ... . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snags Posted September 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 It is not about the fine ... or impounding a vehicle ... people just do not care. I am aware of one individual who had their license suspended (and insurance revoked), the person still drives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickyy33 Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 I basically do a lot of driving with work throughout the entire niagara region from stoney creek-niagara on the lake to dunville... I don't know if its because of my work van but I constantly get cut off and see so much on a daily basis I've thought about getting camera and uploading videos to youtube lol. But out of all the cities welland is the worse by far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captnn Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 I agree a lot of bad drivers out there. I see a lot more bicycles not stopping and going through red lights. Bike lanes are for bikes and that is where they should be if available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cplummer Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 I drive the highway alot and see young girls texting while driving 160k plus. Really scares me these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightfisher Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 Yep nothing like driving down the street looking a head, seeing someone at an intersection wondering if they are going to pull out or wait for you to pass, only to pull out in front of you when you have closed the gap. I could write a book on drivers of Niagara. Cliff 160+......how fast were you going.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cplummer Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 I do max 120k but when someone passes you like your standing still it's a guess. But i pay attention to the road not my phone. All the highways are putting in those mini bumps to let the texters know they are going off the road. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunner-2 Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 It's getting bad on the roads and even in parking lots people dont stop at stop signs i had to slam my brakes on to some moron that ran a stop sign ran right in front of me i flipped out on him and he just looked at me as if to say can i help you and that made me more angry then him almost hitting me i don't know if these drivers any concept wile driving and cplummer is right i see the girls on there cell all the time it makes me mad that you see bad driving daily and can't do a thing about it i was talking to my wife about this tonight and said to her I9f these people are caught doing crap on the roads there should be no warning there license taken and have to take schooling and have to pass the class before they get them back this subject always gets me fired up lol it was never this bad and its not getting better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightfisher Posted September 18, 2015 Report Share Posted September 18, 2015 I just bought a newer (Kijiji) 21 speed Raleigh mountain bike for my trail fishing trips .....and I will ride on the sidewalks as well whenever there are no pedestrians . ......too many bad drivers.... on the phone-texting who don't notice the bikers (motorcycles included ) ! The roads are in bad shape in many areas with large pot holes , especially at the sewer grates . I have nearly broadsided a few vehicles just this year .....all of them females who were on the phone . We certainly need much harsher penalties . I think it's a joke when they impound a car for a WHOLE WEEK for idiots who drive over 50k over the posted limit . Take their car for a year and 5 year suspension , and $5000. fine for the first offense ....I'll bet we would see less of those dangerous fools . Drive defensively ....don't trust that a car will always stop at a 4 way !! ok snaggles ....crash this thread .................. ......... ... . . Bill, you just might of provoked the ire of the feminist....watch out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted September 18, 2015 Report Share Posted September 18, 2015 Dash cams can give some piece of mind. I haven't taken anything interesting on mine, but it can help you out if a situation arose in front of you. I'd love to install a train horn just for those fools on the phones whilst behind the wheel. Eyes are everywhere... Some day soon dash cams may be mandatory , for insurance purposes , etc. They already give discounts to a computer hookup to monitor ones driving habits . They may also one day reward people who send videos in to the cops showing texters, etc. , even from pedestrians with cell phone videos . As Ricky said , there's something about vans that make people follow too closely .....The closer you get behind a van or any large vehicle , the less you can see of what is ahead of it . I have tapped the brake many times to warn these people ....most take the hint , otherwise , I'll run exactly the speed limit and slow them down even more . I think technology will eventually catch up with the bad driver as the price of cameras get cheaper and we will have cameras every 100 meters on city streets. " Bill , provoke a femmy " LOL Dan .....that's why I drive a truck ....their "smart " car knows better than to get the smerch provoked ! grrrrr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishfight Posted September 19, 2015 Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 Seriously ... I have been back for less than 48 hours and the number of people running red lights or making left turns when on-coming traffic has to slam on their breaks is getting out of hand. I am becoming more and more of a believer that Niagara might have the worst drivers in North America, I have driven through California, driven through Boston, driven through New York City. Hell even in Alberta where the drivers can't drive their oversized pickups, they still know how to stop at red lights. I will never put my bicycle on the streets based on how people drive, I will take the fine if the police opt to dislike my riding on the sidewalk. That is all, this thread can now die a quiet death in this forum. Those drivers came from Toronto area. I have driven in US states a lot, and they do not do such a thing. Only in Toronto do I witness 3-4 cars turning left after the red light, .................then the next group of drivers doing the same ,since their time to turn left was cut short . Then the car behind honks at you if you do not turn left after two cars in front of you had turned left after the red light, since you chose to obey the law to stop. I ride my bike at the sidewalk, or risk of getting killed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 To be fair , there are some careless bikers ( motorcycles too ) who take risky chances on the roads . I saw a guy on his bike wearing headphones , a butt stuck in his mouth and TEXTING ! Wow...what a great multi-tasker ! I've seen many jogging down the right side of the road and wearing ear buds , day and night . These people have "no ears" , and when Mr. Darwin happens to be too involved texting while passing by in his truck and hits Mr. Cyclist or Ms.Jogger ..... blame the trucker yes , but that won't bring one back to life...... ....drive aware , run aware and bike aware .....the life you save might be yours ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwc67 Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 put red light cameras at every intersection, as the fines stack up the habits will change. the best one i have seen was a highschool girl in hamilton riding a scooter, with no helmet, texting, down the center of the road Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cplummer Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Did someone say dash cams? I say we go with dash GUNS... That will put an end to the madness! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snags Posted September 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 put red light cameras at every intersection, as the fines stack up the habits will change. They have those and speed cams throughout Alberta ... doesn't really help. You can never prove the driver, so the ticket goes to the registrant of the vehicle. More of just a money grab by the communities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom S Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 I can't stand the E-bikes you see people riding around on. They're not considered motorcycles, so no license is needed, but they're not bicycles so they get driven on the road. Limited to 32km/hour, only need a bicycle helmet. Driven by people who lost their license for various reasons - eg drinking and driving - and still feel the need to endanger other people's lives. I'm waiting for someone putting down highway 6 between Caledonia and Hamilton on an e-bike to get whacked. It's bound to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 I can't stand the E-bikes you see people riding around on. They're not considered motorcycles, so no license is needed, but they're not bicycles so they get driven on the road. Limited to 32km/hour, only need a bicycle helmet. Driven by people who lost their license for various reasons - eg drinking and driving - and still feel the need to endanger other people's lives. I'm waiting for someone putting down highway 6 between Caledonia and Hamilton on an e-bike to get whacked. It's bound to happen. When I was in the hospital 2 yrs.ago the nice gent who I shared the room with got hit on his EB when a pickup turned in front of him at a green light . He was in a comma for 4 weeks , many broken bones and died last year .....not his fault . The problem with bikes & motorcycles is visibility . They are a small object on the road and some do not dress with enough bright colours to be noticed . I try to be very visible to try to draw attention to the drivers who are too busy playing with their toys ......see that everyday ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron4blues Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 A gentleman I worked with a few years ago was hit from behind by an e-bike. He never heard it coming. He suffered serious head injuries, was in a coma for two months, had to have his skull trepanned and after he woke up he had serious motor and speech problems. He survived but can't work or take care of himself. E-bikes are fine if they follow the rules of the road. But they also need to be made with some sort of noise maker (minimum decibles). Same goes for electric cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 I talked to a Harley guy who told me they are extra loud to help be "seen" . I've had Ebikes fly past me without any warning sound , as well as regular bicycles . The electric cars usually have some sound coming from the tires but it sure would help to hang a cow bell from the bumper ...I have a bell on my bike and use it when needed ....If I want to go hi-tech , I could hang a few of those fishing pole bells over the handle bars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom S Posted September 24, 2015 Report Share Posted September 24, 2015 I talked to a Harley guy who told me they are extra loud to help be "seen". No, Harleys are loud because they're poorly engineered. Motorcycle requires a motorcycle license and a probation period. Teaches you to be aware of your surroundings, be a defensive driver, and how to avoid bad situation. To ride an e-bike you don't need any special license. Just buy one and go. Plus you are moving slower than traffic and become an impediment. Just a bad situation all around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmaster24 Posted September 30, 2015 Report Share Posted September 30, 2015 And the fact that the E bikers don't have to pay insurance on their bikes... And they get the whole road.. What happens when there's an accident?? To me it's either get a real job so you can buy a vehicle or face it that you screwed up in doing whatever it was that prevents you from getting a licence and take the freaking bus. On a side note I was checking trail cams last night for deer and a lady's walking her shitsu down the middle of a side street with ear phones in...I had to honk for her to get out of the way. .. Duh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.